System and method for designing component based applications

• US 7,493,594 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Shenfield, Michael, Goring, Bryan R., DeBruin, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US11/078,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 717107-109, 717/116, 717121-122
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A system and method for providing a user interface system to develop an application having a first component with descriptors expressed in a structured definition language and a second component expressed as a series of instructions. The individual components interact for processing messages on a runtime environment of a device that are received from a data source over a network. The component applications comprise data components, presentation components, and message components, which are written in XML code. The component applications further comprise workflow components which are written in a subset of ECMAScript, and are augmented with the XML code. The user interface system comprises a first module, such as a viewer or and editor, for developing the definitions of the first component through interaction with a data model that provides a persistent state of the application. The user interface system comprises a second module for developing the instructions of the second component through interaction with the data model. and a backend connector for providing the message mapping information of the data source to the first module. The first module generates the definitions based on the mapping information. The first and second components developed by respective the first and second modules are included in the application with other components where applicable.

Claims

1. A computing device for developing a client application configured to facilitate communication over a network between an electronic device and a data source having a schema-based service interface, the client application comprising a plurality of interacting components configured for processing one or more messages that are received from the data source over the network, the computing device comprising:

a memory storing instruction for execution by a processor to provide;

a first module generating a first component of the plurality of interacting components through interaction with a data model that provides a persistent state of the client application being developed, the first component including message descriptors expressed in a structured definition language for defining a message format of the messages;

a second module generating a series of instructions of a second component of the plurality of interacting components through interaction with the data model, the series of instructions in a scripting language for defining action to be performed by the client application in response to receiving the messages; and

a backend connector selecting the schema-based service interface and for providing a message definition of the selected schema-based service interface to the first module, the first module generating the message descriptors in the message format based on the message definition;

wherein the first and second components developed by respective the first and second modules are included in the plurality of interacting components of the client application for subsequent execution on the electronic device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each of the modules further comprise a command for accessing and changing the state of the data model.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the data model contains elements selected from the group comprising:

Data Component Definitions;

Global Variable Definitions;

Message Component Definitions;

Resource Definitions;

Screen Component Definitions;

Scripts;

Style Definitions; and

Mapping Descriptors of the data source.

4. The computing device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the modules is affected by an event notification from the data model in response to the command.

5. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the modules are selected from the group comprising editors and viewers.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the modules are selected from the group comprising:

a screen module;

a data module;

a message module;

a workflow module;

a message and data relationship module;

a backend visualize module;

a localization module;

a script editor module;

a testing module, a data and screen relationship module; and

a navigation module.

7. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the components are selected from the group comprising:

data;

screen;

message; and

workflow.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the command is selected from the group comprising:

adding one of the components to the application;

removing one of the components from the application;

renaming a component;

changing or adding a navigation control of a screen element of the screen component;

changing or adding a data binding of a data-bound control;

changing or adding a parameter list of one of the components;

changing or adding a field mapping;

changing or adding a containment relationship;

changing or adding a message field for the message or the screen component of the application;

changing or adding a data field of the message, data or presentation component of the application;

changing or adding a navigation code of a script;

changing or adding a literal string and changing or adding an exit of a script of the workflow component.

9. The computing device of claim 2 further comprising the data model and the modules being decoupled for controlling the application of the state changes to the data model such that the system includes a model layer having the data model and a user interface system layer having the modules, the model layer coupled to the user interface system layer.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the first module creates and edits relationships between data component elements and elements of components selected from the group comprising message components and screen components.

11. A method for generating a client application configured to facilitate communication over a network between an electronic device and a data source having a schema-based service interface, the client application comprising a plurality of interacting components configured for processing one or more messages that are received from a data source over the network, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a first component of the plurality of interacting components through interaction with a data model that provides a persistent state of the client application being developed, the first component including message descriptors expressed in a structured definition language for defining a message format of the messages;

generating a series of instructions of a second component of the plurality of interacting components through interaction with the data model, the series of instructions written in a scripting language for defining an action to be performed by the client a location in response to the messages; and

selecting the schema-based service interface and providing a message definition of the selected schema-based service interface for assisting in the generation of the message descriptors in the message format based on the message definition;

wherein the developed first and second components are included in the plurality of interacting components of the client application for subsequent execution on the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of accessing and changing the state of the data model using a command.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data model contains elements selected from the group comprising:

Data Component Definitions;

Global Variable Definitions;

Message Component Definitions;

Resource Definitions;

Screen Component Definitions;

Scripts;

Style Definitions; and

Mapping Descriptors of the data source.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of affecting the generation of the definitions by an event notification from the data model in response to the command.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the development of the instructions and the definitions are implemented by modules of a user interface system, the modules selected from the group comprising editors and viewers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the editors and viewers are selected from the group comprising:

a screen module;

a data module;

a message module;

a workflow module;

a message and data relationship module;

a backend visualize module;

a localization module;

a script editor module;

a testing module, a data and screen relationship module; and

a navigation module.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the components are selected from the group comprising:

data;

screen;

message; and

workflow.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the command is selected from the group comprising:

adding one of the components to the application;

removing one of the components from the application;

renaming a component;

changing or adding a navigation control of a screen element of the screen component;

changing or adding a data binding of a data-bound control;

changing or adding a parameter list of one of the components;

changing or adding a field mapping;

changing or adding a containment relationship;

changing or adding a message field for the message or the screen component of the application;

changing or adding a data field of the message, data or presentation component of the application;

changing or adding a navigation code of a script;

changing or adding a literal string and changing or adding an exit of a script of the workflow component.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the data model and the modules are decoupled for controlling the application of the state changes to the data model, the user interface system includes a model layer having the data model and a user interface system layer having the modules, the model layer coupled to the user interface system layer.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of creating and editing relationships between data component elements and elements of components selected from the group comprising message components and screen components.

21. A computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor on a computing device cause the computing device to generate a client application configured to facilitate communication over a network between an electronic device and a data source having a schema-based service interface, the client application comprising a plurality of interacting components configured for processing one or more messages that are received from a data source over the network, the instructions for implementing the steps of:

generating a first component of the plurality of interacting components through interaction with a data model that provides a persistent state of the client application being developed, the first component including message descriptors expressed in a structured definition language for defining a message format of the messages;

generating a series of instructions of a second component of the plurality of interacting components through interaction with the data model, the series of instructions written in a scripting language for defining an action to be performed by the client application in response to the messages; and

selecting the schema-based service interface and providing a message definition of the selected schema-based service interface for assisting in the generation of the message descriptors in the message format based on the message definition;

wherein the developed first and second components are included in the plurality of interacting components of the client application for subsequent execution on the electronic device.